Carey, Diane
AVERAGE REVIEW SCORE:
3.5 out of 5
(2 books)
TOP PICK:
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dominon War Book Four: ...Sacrifice Of Angels
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dominion War Book Four: ...Sacrifice Of Angels
The fourth and final Dominion War book, which novelises episodes of the sixth season of DS9. The Federation has been forced to abandon Deep Space Nine and finds itself on the back foot in fighting against the forces of the Dominion. Captain Sisko begins putting together a plan to take the fight to the enemy but is forced to dangerously accelerate his plans when it seems that Gul Dukat is on the verge of reopening the wormhole and getting Dominion reinforcements.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but that's not to say that it's a particularly good one. I've always loved Trek, but I haven't watched the episodes of DS9 this book adapts since they first aired in the UK in the late 90s. This meant that, for me, reading this book was like reconnecting with old friends. It took me right back into that feeling of desperate tension I had waiting to see how the next phase of the war against the Dominion would unfold week by week. This was the only time that Trek did a multi-season arc focusing on the Federation becoming embroiled in all-out war and it made for a very different feel to the tone of Trek in general and I, for one, found it to be a welcome change of pace.
All that said, I'm totally aware that my enjoyment of this book was completely based on nostalgia. As a book in its own right it's short on description and depth and is more or less just 'functional' as a novelisation. Perhaps most important to note is that if you've never seen DS9, you shouldn't even attempt to read this book. Hell, even if you're aware of DS9 at, you should probably have watched at least some of the Dominion stories for this to make sense even then. It spends no time at all introducing the characters and situations and just throws you in off the deep end. I've always felt that even books that are part of a series should be good enough to stand alone on their own merits and this one wouldn't.
So, if you're a Trek fan and want to revisit a classic story arc, then pop your nostalgia goggles on and have a good time, as I did. If that's not you, then probably don't bother.
4 out of 5
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Search
The novelisation of the two-part premiere of DS9's third season. Commander Sisko returns to Deep Space Nine with a powerful new starship, the Defiant, and a mission to take it through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant to make contact with the hostile Dominion.
With my knowledge of what came later, I initially found it hard to mentally return to the days when the Dominion were an unknown quantity to the crew of DS9 but when I did manage it, it brought a really engaging sense of atmosphere and peril to the Defiant's first mission. Simultaneously as Sisko seeks out the Founders of the Dominion, Odo follows a spiritual calling to a mysterious rogue planet where he and Major Kira finally learn the nature of the shapeshifter's origins.
This book does a solid job of setting up the impending conflict with the Dominion, giving us a good sense not only of how much a threat they are, but also the lengths the DS9 crew are willing to go to in order to safeguard the Alpha Quadrant. Also, who doesn't love the Defiant, so it's good to see its first mission.
Unfortunately, for all of the good work it does with the story and the lore-building, this novelisation doesn't quite get the characters right. The author has clearly tried to flesh out what's going on the characters' minds beyond the dialogue which appears in the TV episodes but often times the internal monologue is at odds with what the characters are saying and doing, or just their established character overall. The characters in this book just didn't feel authentic to the beloved characters I know from watching the show.
3 out of 5
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